Frequently asked questions

In Finland electricity consumers are free to select their electricity provider. Connecting to the electric grid and distribution of electricity are the task of the area's electric network service. Electricity providers who sell electricity in your postal code area can be found in the price comparison service of the Energy Authority: www.sahkonhinta.fi.

Also operating in the remit of your electric network service is an electricity provider which is obliged to deliver electricity to households in the area at public prices and conditions. The prices must be reasonable. Information about the provider in your area obliged to provide the service is available from the network company of your postal code area.
 

You can compare electricity prices offered in your postal code area easily in the Energy Authority price comparison service.

You need to know

• The postal code of the location where the electricity is used
• The annual consumption of electricity. The number can be found on your own electricity bill, but you can also estimate your consumption of electricity with the help of examples on the pages
• The way that electricity consumption is measured (single rate, dual rate, or seasonal measurement)

The service lists sales offers in order of cost. You may compare offers according to contract types.
Contact the electricity provider that you prefer or fill the order form on the provider's website.

Sahkonhinta.fi
 

When you move to a new home you will need a new electricity contract. Compare contract terms and get in touch with the electricity provider that you prefer. The electricity provider usually drafts an electricity network contract on your behalf, but you may also do it yourself with a network service. Entering into a new electricity contract and a network service contract are free of charge.

If you want to agree on the supply of electricity to a new location that has not yet been completed, please contact the local network service first, and agree on a contract for connecting to the network. A reasonable connection fee is charged.
 

To change providers, it is enough to contact a new provider. Under your authorisation the new provider will deal with the cancellation of the old contract. The authorisation can be made when the new contract is finalised. If you wish, you may cancel the contract with the old electricity provider yourself, but the easiest and most recommended way is to contact the new provider which will do it for you.

Changing electricity providers is free of charge.
 

An electricity contract that is valid until further notice can always terminated by the consumer with two week's notice. A fixed-term contract ends at the end of the fixed term.
Under general contract terms, relocating to a new address entitles the buyer to terminate a fixed-term contract with two weeks’ notice unless individualised terms of the contract set different conditions.

You can see your electricity provider's conditions for termination in the terms of your contract. The Electricity Market Act sets the minimum terms for termination to which no exceptions are allowed.
 

You can check your consumption information on the web service of your network service, or your electricity bill. In the web service customers can conduct various searches on their consumption information over a specific time period.

You have the right to ask your network service or electricity supplier for your own consumption information free of charge.
 

An electricity bill must include

• the number of units to be invoiced (the amount of billable electricity that is consumed)
• the unit price of each payment (for example cents/kWh) and the amount that must be paid
• fees that affect the formation of the price of electricity
• amounts of taxes and how they are calculated
• the total amount of the bill

In addition, the bill and its attachments must indicate

• the validity period of the contract
• information needed for making a customer complaint and information given once a year on available procedures for settling a dispute
• the true consumption at the location where the electricity is used, as well as price information.
• Based on the information you can compare your consumption with a comparable period in the previous year.
   

In a contract that is valid until further notice prices can be changed within the framework of the Electricity Market Act and terms of the contract. The consumer must be notified of price increases a month in advance.

In a fixed term contract the general rule is that the price of energy cannot change during the contract period, with the exception of taxes and other public fees.

However, in a fixed term contract it is possible to link the price to a certain reference value, for example a regional price on the electricity market. In such a case the price to be paid follows the changes of the reference price that was agreed upon. (For example, the price of a housing loan is linked in a similar manner to the Euribor interest rate.)
 

To check the network operator responsible for electricity distribution in your area, see the map of the network operators’ areas maintained by the Energy Authority. Click on the map to see the name of the network operator responsible for an area and the name of the area it is responsible for. To use the map location search, enter the address, name or property identifier of your location.  

Map of network operators’ areas of responsibility (in Finnish) 

Electricity transmission is a natural monopoly. This means that building competing electricity networks is not economically viable. The reliability of electricity networks is also highly important for society. This is why distribution networks are legal monopolies. The customer can only put out to tender the construction of their power connection line.   

You can also shop around for a cheaper charge for electrical energy in you bill. To compare prices, go to sahkonhinta.fi.  

The Energy Authority supervises operators to ensure that the transfer pricing of each network operator is reasonable. The control is retrospective, meaning that the Energy Authority monitors network operators’ pricing as a whole over a four-year control period. A company that has overpriced its electricity transmission service will have to refund the surplus to customers over the next four years through the pricing of the electricity distribution charges. The refund can also take the form of increased investments in the electricity network.  

This means that over the long term, network operators cannot charge more for electricity transmission than what is permitted by law. The Energy Authority’s control covers all companies and customer groups.